More than 1000 new species have been discovered in the rivers, jungles, markets and restaurants of the Greater Mekong in the last 10 years!

1068 new species have been discovered in the Greater Mekong Region of Southeast Asia in the last decade including the Laotian rock rat (thought extinct for 11 million years), the world's largest spider, a striped rabbit and a hot-pink, cyanide-producing dragon millipede according to a new report launched by World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

The region comprises the six countries through which the Mekong River flows including Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and the southern Chinese province of Yunnan.

2 Species Per Week
First Contact in the Greater Mekong reports that 1068 species were discovered or newly identified by science between 1997 and 2007 - which averages two new species a week. While most species were discovered in the largely unexplored jungles and wetlands, some were first found in the most surprising places. The Laotian rock rat, for example, thought to be extinct 11 million years ago, was first encountered by scientists in a local food market, while the Siamese Peninsula pit viper was found slithering through the rafters of a restaurant in Khao Yai National Park in Thailand.

Discoveries in the last 10 years include:
519 plants
279 fish
88 frogs
88 spiders
46 lizards
22 snakes
15 mammals
4 birds
4 turtles
2 salamanders
1 toad